Shoe cleat assembly



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sHoE CLEAT ASSEMBLY Filed'peb; 5. 1948 U m M MA Mik @M Patented Sept.26, 1950 GFFICE sHoE cLEAT ASSEMBLY Chester W. Dowd, Dover, and Henry G.Mogensen, Shrewsbury, Mass.

i, Application rebfuary 5, 194s, seria1`N0.6,434

This invention relates to athletic shoe cleats, and more particularly tothe anchoring means by which such cleats are secured against the sole ofa shoe. One method frequently employed Ato mount a cleat on a shoe soleis to provide the shoe with screws or bolts extending through the soleand projecting down therefrom, the bolts having flat heads which aresunk flush with the inner surface of the shoe sole. The cleats eachcontain a nut or female screw-threaded element by which they are screwedon the outwardly projecting portions of the bolts. When the shoes are inuse, the cleats are subjected to severe stresses some of which may havea torsional eiect on the cleats. It is highly desirable to secure thecleats in such a mannerl that they will not work loose and come ofisincean ex posed bolt end is a dangerous hazard. Hence, various expedientshave been devised for the purpose of preventing undesired rotation of acleat on its bolt and for preventing rotation of any of the elements ofthe assembly with respect to the sole of the shoe.

According to the present invention, a washer is provided which hasprongs on its periphery adapted to penetrate into the shoe sole andratchet teeth vprojecting in the opposite direc tion to engage the baseof a cleat, the washer being secured to the bolt by swaging against thebolt in an extruded neck previously formed in the center of the washer.

For a more complete understanding ofthe invention, reference may be hadto the following description thereof, and to the drawing, of which-Figure 1 is a perspective view of a locking washer embodying theinvention;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary, sectional view of a shoe sole with the cleatanchor assembly and a tool for securing the parts of the assemblytogether; and Y Figure 3 is a similar sectional view showing thecompleted cleat anchor assembly and a cleat. v

The locking washer illustrated on the drawing preferably consists of adisk I of steel or other suitable malleable metal, having a series ofprongs I2 at its periphery projecting at right angles to the plane oftherdisk. The disk is also provided with a circular series of ratchetteeth I4, preferably struck up from the plane of the disk so that theyproject from the face of the disk opposite to the prongs l 2. A centralneck IB is extruded from the disk so as to project from the same face ofthe disk -as do the ratchet a claims. (c1. 3c-59) ,n teeth I4. Theextruded neck It has an interior diameter Vsubstantially equal to theouter diameter of a screw or bolt 20 which is extended through the shoesole 22, the screw having a flat head 24 which is driven flush with theinner surface of the sole 22 and which may be made with fins 25 on itshead to lock it against rotation. When the screw is in its position, asilillustrated in Figures 2 and 3, it projects below the bottom surfaceof the shoe sole, the projecting portion being screw-threaded. A lockingwasher I0 is placed on the projecting portion of the screw 20 with theprongs I2 toward the outer surface of the shoe sole 22. The neck I6 tsclosely about the screw 20. A suitable tool 30 is then struck againstthe locking washer IB. The head of this tool preferably has a diameterapproximately equal to that of the disk il] and is provided with acentral bore 32 adapted to receive the screw 20. The`bore is slightlyflared, as at 34, at the end of the tool so that the mouth of the borecan receive the rim or extremityof the neck IB. The end face of the tool30 is also provided with an annular groove or channel 36, arranged toreceive the ratchet teeth I4 so that these are not pressed when the toolengages the disk I 0. When the tool is driven home, it pushes the diskI0 into face-to-face engagement with the bottom of the sole 22, crimpsor swages the neck I6 against the screw 2B into binding engagementtherewith so that the disk I 0 is permanently secured to the screw, andcauses the prongs I 2 to penetrate into the sole, as shown in Figure 3.Thus, the screw and disk are rigidly joined together as a unit and theportion of the threaded shank of the screw which projects beyond theneck I6 is ready to receive'an ordinary cleat 4i] of rubber or anequivalent, with a nut 42 embedded therein.

One common form of cleat has a shallow recess 44 in its end face. Theratchet teeth i4 are preferably so arranged that the circle deiined bythe -outer ends of the teeth is of slightly greater diameter thantherecess 44. When the cleat is screwed on to the screw 20, the ratchetteeth engage both the bottom and side surfaces of the recess 44 to holdthe cleat against reverse rotation which would loosen it.

The swaging operation by which the washer is secured to theY shank ofthe screw 2l) expedites the assembling processV since the washer isquickly slipped over the screw shank, and one blow of the tool 30 iixesit in place, making a virtual unit with the screw 20. The ns 25 and 3the prongs l2 cooperate to prevent any rotation of this unit withrespect to the shoe sole.

We claim:

1. In combination with an athletic shoe sole, a screw extending outthrough said sole, and a lock washer permanently secured to said screw,said washer having prongs at its periphery penetrating into the bottomsurface of said sole and ratchet teeth projecting from the bottomsurface of the washer, said washer having a neck surrounding a portionof said screw, said neck being tightly swaged against said screw.

2. In combination with a shoe sole, a cleat assembly comprising a screwextending through said sole and projecting from the bottom surfacethereof, a locking washer on said screw bearing against said bottomsurface of the sole, said locking washer having a neck extendingdownward from the plane thereof and in binding env gagement With saidscrew, said Washer also having a circular series of ratchet teethprojecting down from the plane thereof, and a cleat in threadedengagement with said screw with an end engaging said washer, said cleathaving in said end a shallow recess the bottom and side surfaces ofwhich are indented by said ratchet teeth.

CHESTER W. DOWD.

HENRY G. MOGENSEN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,457,592 Murray June 5, 19231,687,634 Pierce Oct. 16, 1928 2,178,106 Pierce Oct. 31, 1939 2,271,732Chappuis Feb. 3, 1942 2,299,927 Pierce et a1 Oct. 27, 1942 2,302,471Pierce et a1 Nov. 17, 1942 2,306,308 Goldenberg Dec. 22, 1942 2,412,788Vietas et al Dec. 17, 1946

